Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-21
THE CHAPERON ABROAD.
LANDS WHERE FEMININE GUARDIAN
SHIP is A SOCIAL NECESSITY. :

irresponsible Existence of the Spanish
Girl--The Chaperon in Central Europe.
Rules in Belgium and Germany-Eng-
lands Female Dragons.
In those countries, and among those by
whom chaperon is recognized as a social
necessity, no chaperons in any Christian
country have so severe task as those of
Spain. From early childhood until young
womanhood the Spanish girl is generally i'm
| INJURED within convent walls presumably for
her education, although what she learns dur
| ing those long years, except the rudiments OF
reading and writing, how to sew and en-
| broider little, to use a fan to perfection, to
wear her garments with bewitching grace,
| and to use her ewes to the destruction of the
repose of all male beholders, it would be diff
cult to say. Once out of the convent and of
manageable age-say IA or 15-she is placed
| in the charge of duenna, who from that
moment never loses sight of her in daytime
and sleeps in the same room at night. Such
thing as a moments privacy the girl
neither expects nor obtains. If the gouvern-
ante absents herself, the young lady is first
taken to her mother If she goes out TO
church, to the opera, or for a walk, she is
closely guarded; on the street, or the paseo,
she is sent step or two in advance,Sthe
mother or duenna, or often both, following
so that they can see her every motion, and
that no daring lover slips a billet doux into
her not unwilling hand The consequence is
that, feeling perfectly safe and entirely ire
sponsible, she is the most arrant flirt in the
| universe.
In France, Germany, Austria and through
Central Europe the duties of chaperon are
much alike, and are far lighter than they
were even five-and-twenty years ago.
Throughout Europe no young girl, or to put
it more plainly, no unmarried woman, can
appear in public unescorted by some matron.
As for male escort, that is, of course, far
, worse than being alone. Even brother can
: not take his sister to a theatre or place of
public resort without chaperon. In France
: it is indeed the custom to keep the brothers
rigidly apart from the sisters after their Sth
: year, except when in the company of the pa
I rents, because the whole educational scheme
is so different for the two sexes. Often latei
+ in life and after the sister is married they be
: come close friends, but no girl would be al
lowed to go into the streets or public place:
e with her brother; some one might not know
that it was brother, and there would be {
= scandal. To balls and parties the girl car
Z only go with her mother or some chaperon
\. who for the time represents her. No sooner
however, is the young French girl made
II wife-perhaps TO some man she hardly know
by sight-than all this is changed; it is ik
the lowly grub suddenly bursting into th
- most gaudy of butterflies.
In Germany and Austria the rules, a
though strict, are not 30 rigid as in France
the Young ladies, both at home and in tn
ball room, being allowed little more GbeI
| ty, especially where the Protestant elemen
predominates, in this differing widely fror
, France, where the Protestants are notOriousl
more rigid and Pulritanical than their CathI
he lie fellow countrymen, denying TO youth eve
Il such innocent pleasures as dancing and othf
harmless amusements.
Belgium, at least so far as its capital city
concerned, follows French customs, an
y much the same may be said of st. Peter
burg In Holland, while the court etiquetf
is the strictest in Europe, the girls are a
mt lowed in their home life almost as much FIRE
sr- dom as are English girls Italy, but a fe
"a years ago the most formal country in ma
100 ters social, is breaking down her barrier
,r. The immense number of English and Amer
e'' can girls constantly on the continent, al
who insist upon carrying with them the FIRE
dom of action that they look upon as the
4 birthright, the wealth, beauty and accoT
! plishments of many of them giving access
s the best society and compelling the admir-
AZ ton of all, has done vastly much toward FIRE
m ing their continental sisters
MI In England the duties of a chaperon a
nj much tine same as in the larger Americ'
4 cities. To go to a ball, party, flower sho
theatre OF other place of public amusement
girl must have a chaperon of some sort "
sees her from her home and returns her to
At ball the advantage of the chaPeron
the girl is enormous, especially if the lady
u woman of the world, If bore comes alo
4. the chaperon claims his attention; if the G
= cannot say she is engaged for the particul
AZ dance the bore has asked for, the chaperc
at a look, says: "You must rest this dan,
dear; you must not over fatigue yourself
NY insist come and sit here by me.s 1t is t
i'm, same when the girl wishes to escape from
ach ineligible, especially if she thinks some c
the else is looking for her; Il must 60 back
an mamma, now Tor to Mrs Blank, as the c,
Is may be- l promised to come directly I
All, dance was over"
''A The only continental country that perm
almost American or English freedom to
girls is Switzerland Even in the Frer
w portion-Geneva and its neighborhood-
IN girls walk unattended through the stree
and at the most fashionable female board
rs school parties are given twice a month
NO. | which the college students and other yor
men of fashion are inyited.-E. J. Biddle
Globe Democrat.